Fire-escape



(No Model.)

I FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 280,306. Patented June 26, 1883.

- capes whiehconstitute in part permanent fix- UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE JOHN GOWDEY, or JANEsvILnE,fwiseonsnv.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 'N'o."2 80', 806,,dated June 26, 1 883.

Application filed March 16, 1883. (No model.) v

To all whom it may concern.-

Be'it known that I, JOHN GOWDEY, of J anes ville, in the, county of Rock, and in the State of Wisconsin, have inventedeertain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to that class of fire-es--.

tures upon the building; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction, as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a portion of a building with my device attached thereto; and Fig. 2 is a side view of my device, showing also the means of supporting the track and securing it to the walls of the buildmg.

A represents the walls of a building, andB is the main track or rail, supported near the roof of the building by the brackets O at intervals, preferably about midway between the vertical line of the windows in said wall. The shanks of these brackets extend through-the wall, and are securely bolted to the inside, as shown. Upon this rail rest the grooved wheels of the carriage F, and above the rail is the continuous protector D, likewise sustained by bracket-rods d, whose inner ends pass through the wall, and are securely bolted thereto in the same way that the brackets O are secured, while braces c extend at an angle between the parts d and O, and serve to increase the strength and power to resist strain of thelatter. From the under side of the said brackets C, and a few inches out from the wall, the vertical rods E extend nearly or quite to the ground, and are preferably provided with the hand knobs. or collars e at intervals, as shown.

The carriage F is an open frame of U shape in front, the arms of which extend back and then down to prevent the detachment of the carriage from the track, as shown, and between the front and rear portions of each of these arms is journaled a wheel or pulley, G, grooved so as to ride upon the track B.

Near the lower part of the U-frame of the carriage are projecting lugs or, bearings for the journals of a grooved pulley, H, and directly above are similarbea-rings for the trunnionsof an eccentric, I, designed to act as a brake, as hereinafter described.

A cross-piece, f, between the arms of the carriage-frame serves as the seat, to which is" secured one end of a stiff spring, K, whose free end bears upon the eccentric I, and one of the trunnions of said eccentrichas a crank: arm, 1", rigid therewith and extending inward, to the extreme end of which is attached the rope L for releasing said eccentric from contact'with the pulley H.

M is a bucket or basket suspended by the endless rope N, which is attached to the bail of said bucket, and which moves in the groove in the roller H. v

The track. B extends entirely around the building if isolated, or around the corner if it is a corner building, so that the carriage F'ean be pulled by means of the rope N to any point on said track, and when the pulley His the rope L is again released the eccentric I will again be automatically forced down upon the pulley H, thus preventing the rotation of said pulley, as well as guarding against the slipping of the rope N by direct pressure there on, the spring being strong enough to over come the weight of the bucket or basket and keep the eccentric down against the pulley H until again released by pulling on the rope L. By reason of attaching the other end of the rope N to the bail of the basket,-this part of the rope operates as a guy-rope, by means of which the basket can, be swung out around balconies, signs, or other. obstacles projecting from the walls of the building, and firemen can thus be drawn to any window or part of the building with the hose, besides-saving per sons from the building. 7,

The protector D, being a permanent arrangement, serves to keep the track B always clear of ice, snow, icicles, 820., in winter, and also guards the carriage F and its attachments from injury.

.Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a railing or track extending around a building, supported from below by brackets secured to the wall, of a carriage and pulleys for suspending a basket,

and a stop arranged upon the carriage for pre v ering the said track, and secured to the walls by rods (2, connected by braces 0 to the said 20 brackets, substantially as set forth.

4. I11 combination with the track B, the carriage F G G, supported thereon, carrying the grooved pulley II, spring K, and eccentric I, the latter having crank-arm i,rigidly secured 25 to one of its rigid trunnions, and the ropes N and L, substantially as set forth.

In'testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, on this 26th day of January, 1883, in the presence of two wit- 0 nesses.

JOHN GO\VDEY.

WVitnesses:

S. S. STOUT, ADOLPH-E. KLEIN. 

